However, Aberdeen will not give up the fight to get the kick-off changed, a move the Evening Express and Edinburgh Evening News joined forces to call for.

He said: “I hope people with a degree of common sense even look at the option of having the two games played on different days. There could be other solutions out there so that both games are played with fantastic supports from all four clubs and can be the occasions they are supposed to be, rather than what they have become over the last few days which is unfortunately turning people off the game.

“The feeling is that in the public’s mind football is over-riding public order in so many ways and that cannot be a good place to be in.”

Mr Fraser said: “We made it clear we were very angry with the outcome of the decision and we still maintain that position.

“I believe that conversations were held with other people, including Murrayfield at one time. However difficult this is if the centre (SPFL) had given the due consideration to the points of view expressed at that meeting and not been hell-bent on getting that decision announced that night (Thursday), it is possible that we may very well have come to a different conclusion.”

Aberdeen were represented at the meeting with the SPFL and the four teams by football operations and communications staff.

“We were absolutely adamant, as were Hearts, that we were not happy with the outcome,” said Mr Fraser. “We were asked to come back to them in relation to the venue and the allocation that evening. We went back with a written response as did Hearts.

“Our statement was very clear that we were not happy with the kick-off time in relation to the venue.

“Supporters are not being put first here. There is not a rail service that gets into Glasgow until after the game kicks off. I appreciate it is not an easy one for the SPFL.

“But to have both semi-finals on the same day, at the same venue, one with a very early kick-off and one with a very late kick-off just seems to be the worst possible outcome for all concerned.”

Kilmarnock player Kris Boyd said in a newspaper column at the weekend that it was Police Scotland who called for the early kick-off as they “want their match with Rangers done and dusted because a minority among the Dons fans cannot behave themselves”.

Mr Fraser said: “That is a scandalous remark based on a degree of ignorance. Every support has a degree of issues to deal with and Aberdeen are no different from any other support. I don’t accept that point.”